Then and now, Normandy 1944/2009
09-01-2009, 05:31 AM
#8
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Very cool....
I have two goals in life that I want to do before I pass on. One is to walk the beaches of normandy, to touch the sand...and say a soft prayer to whatever gods might exist in the universe for the men and women who died that dark day in 1944.
The other is to go to Iwo Jima, where my great uncle (and my middle name/namesake) was killed during the 3rd wave...and again just...give thanks for all I have now because of men like him.
Its sad, so many young folk (no not saying anyone here) just don't comprehend the sacrifices the "greatest" generation gave. I had the honor of bumping into a navy vet, who was on the wasp in WW2. I got to shake his hand and thank him...damn if he didn't almost cry, me too.
anywho, thanks for posting this up, cool pictures.
I have two goals in life that I want to do before I pass on. One is to walk the beaches of normandy, to touch the sand...and say a soft prayer to whatever gods might exist in the universe for the men and women who died that dark day in 1944.
The other is to go to Iwo Jima, where my great uncle (and my middle name/namesake) was killed during the 3rd wave...and again just...give thanks for all I have now because of men like him.
Its sad, so many young folk (no not saying anyone here) just don't comprehend the sacrifices the "greatest" generation gave. I had the honor of bumping into a navy vet, who was on the wasp in WW2. I got to shake his hand and thank him...damn if he didn't almost cry, me too.
anywho, thanks for posting this up, cool pictures.
09-01-2009, 07:24 AM
#9
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Those are GREAT images and thank you SO much for posting them.
5 years ago I went on a trip to Europe with 3 friends (well, 3 of us all together). We rented a car and went everywhere we wanted which included about 11 countries. The areas that had the most WWII preservation from WWII were Poland (Auschwitz I and Berkenau (Auscwitz II), Normandy, and parts of Germany that were preserved that way so everyone would remember, mainly Dresden which was used to be communist east Germany.
It was a very touching trip and I got to see some monumental things/places. We were gone on our trip for about two month and I wouldn't have traded that trip for anything in the world.
Although there were no signs of WWII in Bosnia, that was def the most war torn country out of the 12 countries I've been too, as you know it was caught in the middle of the serbian communist occupation known as Yugoslavia (Piece-of-crapia). Auscwitz in Poland def was the scariest due to the in tact death camps that looked almost the say way as they did when WWII was going on, but time has passed and earased a lot of bad memories, but with Bosnia it has only been about 15 years so it's really tragic to look at some of the carnage. My little cousin who was about 10 when the war started showed me all his routes that he would take in middle of the night to deliver the said plans. If he was caught he'd be beheaded by the muslims, but he had to do it and simply couldn't refuse. Lucky for him he was armed with a pistol and small enough to just look like some 7 year old even though he was ten, Can you imagine being that kids parent? Know that you just sent him off into the from of the war! I sure as hell cound't. In fact, my mom and dad didn't tell me until after the war because they were afraid how I'd react.
Much worse happened to my family during that war, things that will go to the grave to me but I can assure you that I will never forget or forgive.
People wonder what I have personal issues with muslim and serbian fanatics. If you sat down and talked to me about you'd undersyand
Sorry for the extra info, felt I needed to vent like I do sometimes.
PS: Just so you know, at only the TWO camps, Auscwitz I and Auschwitz II (Berkanau) would be physically be able to gas (shower) and incinerate the bodies 7,000 bodie a day!!!!
That was just the two camps, systematically irradicating an entire ethnic body of the jaws, and lets not forget all the other death camps spread around there.... Creepy as hell... Those shots are just starling reminders of what I saw when I visited.
Its amazing how great the photos are!
5 years ago I went on a trip to Europe with 3 friends (well, 3 of us all together). We rented a car and went everywhere we wanted which included about 11 countries. The areas that had the most WWII preservation from WWII were Poland (Auschwitz I and Berkenau (Auscwitz II), Normandy, and parts of Germany that were preserved that way so everyone would remember, mainly Dresden which was used to be communist east Germany.
It was a very touching trip and I got to see some monumental things/places. We were gone on our trip for about two month and I wouldn't have traded that trip for anything in the world.
Although there were no signs of WWII in Bosnia, that was def the most war torn country out of the 12 countries I've been too, as you know it was caught in the middle of the serbian communist occupation known as Yugoslavia (Piece-of-crapia). Auscwitz in Poland def was the scariest due to the in tact death camps that looked almost the say way as they did when WWII was going on, but time has passed and earased a lot of bad memories, but with Bosnia it has only been about 15 years so it's really tragic to look at some of the carnage. My little cousin who was about 10 when the war started showed me all his routes that he would take in middle of the night to deliver the said plans. If he was caught he'd be beheaded by the muslims, but he had to do it and simply couldn't refuse. Lucky for him he was armed with a pistol and small enough to just look like some 7 year old even though he was ten, Can you imagine being that kids parent? Know that you just sent him off into the from of the war! I sure as hell cound't. In fact, my mom and dad didn't tell me until after the war because they were afraid how I'd react.
Much worse happened to my family during that war, things that will go to the grave to me but I can assure you that I will never forget or forgive.
People wonder what I have personal issues with muslim and serbian fanatics. If you sat down and talked to me about you'd undersyand
Sorry for the extra info, felt I needed to vent like I do sometimes.
PS: Just so you know, at only the TWO camps, Auscwitz I and Auschwitz II (Berkanau) would be physically be able to gas (shower) and incinerate the bodies 7,000 bodie a day!!!!
That was just the two camps, systematically irradicating an entire ethnic body of the jaws, and lets not forget all the other death camps spread around there.... Creepy as hell... Those shots are just starling reminders of what I saw when I visited.
Its amazing how great the photos are!
09-01-2009, 11:23 AM
#12
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: San Jose, CA
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That was just the two camps, systematically irradicating an entire ethnic body of the jaws, and lets not forget all the other death camps spread around there.... Creepy as hell... Those shots are just starling reminders of what I saw when I visited.
Its amazing how great the photos are!
Its amazing how great the photos are!
Last edited by saqwarrior; 09-01-2009 at 11:26 AM.
09-01-2009, 12:00 PM
#13
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That is pretty nuts.
It is one of the saddest yet most beautiful things about history that all is forgotten in time.
All the heroics are washed away. But yet so are the tears and sadness. The world may no longer know of those who we owe a debt of gratitude to, but we must acknowledge them...
It is one of the saddest yet most beautiful things about history that all is forgotten in time.
All the heroics are washed away. But yet so are the tears and sadness. The world may no longer know of those who we owe a debt of gratitude to, but we must acknowledge them...
